Michael says he thinks there's been a change in the status of young stars in the NBA since he and Charles played the game. "The difference in our sport, in all honesty, is [now] you get paid off of potential," he says

Was this state of things caused by the amazing successes he and Charles have experienced? "Partly," Michael says, but it's been "interpreted totally wrong."

"When you look back in our era—Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley—we earned what we got," he says. "I don't mean to demean the young kids because I think it's something that they have to learn and hopefully they will learn, [but] when corporate America came to us, we had a game that could validate their admiration. Now, [players] get that before they play one game. … I think it sets a bad work ethic. When you get something so easily, you're not going to work as hard."